Remember exchanging Valentines in elementary school? Decorating boxes? Buying the Valentines in bulk, to ensure there was one for each of your classmates?
That’s how I would like Valentine’s Day to be, if I were suddenly put in charge of the whole thing.
Not that I don’t enjoy the whole idea of celebrating romance; I do. But it can be a time when anyone not currently in the most perfect love feels left out. And/or pressured to produce the “right” gift.
It’s too bad, really. Businesses want to make a profit, and that is certainly not an evil thing. Some people love to give and receive gifts. Fine by me. But others aren’t so keen on the idea, and feel their most important expressions of love involve having the other person’s back–showing them kindness in their everyday behaviors: complimenting them, preparing their favorite foods, noticing the endearing things they do.
In my own life, I have known people who treat those closest to them pretty shabbily on daily basis but never forget to buy flowers for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc. It’s almost as if they are buying their way out of good daily treatment. Some of these people don’t even stop to think what the recipient might enjoy but look instead to a high enough price tag to be impressive. Gifts don’t mean a lot under those circumstances.
Valentine’s Day was meant to be enjoyable, a way to say “I love you” one more time in at least one more way. And not just a romantic “I love you.” My vote would go to using the day as one of many opportunities to express appreciation to our friends, family members, anyone in our circle. And a reminder of our good fortune in having these same people in our lives.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!